June 11 Board Brief

June 11 Board Brief

Dear District 30 Family,

I hope that this email finds you well! We completed our third virtual Board Meeting last Thursday evening that included the following relevant items:

Personnel Report

The Board accepted the resignations of Dawn Novak and Julie Bezanes. We wish both of them well and thank them for their service to District 30!

The Board also officially hired Jaclyn Stillmaker as a District Occupational Therapist, and Ashlee Grude as a Sixth-Grade Science Teacher at Maple. Please help welcome all of these individuals into our District 30 Family!

The Board also approved the return of Sara Elliott as an Instructional Assistant at Maple; Julie Urbanus as a 0.4 FTE District Occupational Therapist; and Rachel Pollera's voluntary transfer for 0.5 FTE of her role as a Teacher on Assignment. We are thankful for the continued service of all of these individuals!

The Board also approved all individuals who will provide Extended School Year services this summer. Thank you to all of our educators who will continue serving our students!

Second Reading of New & Revised Board Policies

District 30 revises Board Policies twice a year. Revisions and additions occur due to new legislation and the need to ensure that our policies support and align with our practices. We completed the second reading of the following Board Policies revisions: 

New Policy: 265 Board Attorney; 280.03 BOARD MEMBER SERVICES - Board Member Compensation and Expenses; New Policy: 410.02 Use of Credit and Procurement Cards; New Policy: 500.03 GENERAL PERSONNEL - Compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act; New Policy: 500.77 GENERAL PERSONNEL - Compensatory Time-Off; New Policy: 500.80 GENERAL PERSONNEL - Personal Technology and Social Media; Usage and Conduct; New Policy: 513 GENERAL PERSONNEL - Responsibilities Concerning Internal Information; 520.06 PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL - Travel Expenses; 540.02 GENERAL PERSONNEL - Sick Days, Vacation, Holidays, and Leaves; and 645.02 Acceptable Use of the District’s Network

Superintendent’s Report

I updated the Board on the continuous increase in enrollment that is trending toward our projections, and I highlighted a 0.4 FTE increase in Occupational Therapy support that reflects increased need next year and reductions in the support we will contract with NSSED. I also thanked the Board for participating in our recent Board Governance Review and thanked them for their professionalism and commitment.

I also reflected on the year. This year has been an outstanding but challenging one for District 30. We kicked off the year celebrating the opening up our new Maple School with our students, staff, and community in a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony. We retooled every system in Maple School and continued to navigate our tight elementary schools. Our ceremonies & traditions deepened our culture, and our high-level of learning never wavered. 

Our Board systematically updated our Master Facility Plan with definite plans to address our limited elementary capacity. Our principals also worked thoughtfully with our staff and ARCON to help our goals take shape. We also ran an inclusive process to hire a new Maple School Principal. 

On March 13, the world changed as we spent our last half-day with our students, and we again revised every system across District 30. Through all of the uncertainty and change, we have generated normalcy, maintained connections, and moved our students forward thoughtfully! We collectively labored to move forward and remain positive. Everything that we did during this time took longer to accomplish without being in-person. The herculean effort to continue included shifting every ceremony and tradition that we have to a virtual one. Our Family Dinner, awards ceremonies, field days, closing ceremonies, and graduation were all pulled off exceptionally well! 

I thanked our staff, students, parents, and the Board of Education for a fantastic year!

Our administrative team and I ended my update by celebrating Dr. Carter’s last regular Board Meeting.

Student Services Update

Ms. Schulman shared our Student Services Overview. She celebrated the 37 languages that we have in District 30 as our diverse community sees us as a safe and welcoming community. She reviewed English Learner and Special Education student enrollment, staffing, and programming. 

Ms. Schulman highlighted the effort her staff made throughout e-Learning to continue to provide services to our students, and she shared her gratitude for the outstanding efforts made by her team throughout the closure and the entire year! The Board and I echoed our appreciation!

Food Service Update

Quest Food Management updated the Board on its continued partnership with District 30. They celebrated our committed staff and reviewed the successful service provided to Diamond Lake School District 76 through an Intergovernmental Agreement. They also focused on menu updates and ordering options throughout the year. 

Quest has been providing emergency meal services to qualified District 30, District 31, and District 225 students throughout the pandemic and will continue this service throughout the summer. Furthermore, the discussion previewed potential operational changes for the fall in preparation for students returning in August.

The Board reflected on the drivers of our Food Services search from two years ago that included quality of food, the quantity of food, and partnership. They highlighted that Quest continues to meet our expectations!

Board Reports

Mrs. Nancy Artz shared a summary of Northern Suburban Special Education District’s (NSSED) most recent Board Meeting. Nancy shared that the meeting was last night. They adopted the resolution for the new finance model. They approved the Collective Bargaining Agreements for the teaching and support association, and they passed the tentative 2020-21 Budget. She also shared that they discussed the Brand Refresh proposal to change the name of NSSED to TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804.

I wrap up this update with a sincere thank you to the members of the District 30 Family who partnered successfully throughout the year, especially during the past twelve weeks. I also thank the Board for renewing my contract, and I continue to feel blessed to serve District 30!

Let me know if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent